Overview

• The Maharashtra government issued ward delimitation orders for 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, formally launching the civic poll process.
• Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS leaders have publicly signaled readiness to ally, with surveys showing 90–95% of grassroots workers backing a reunion.
• Raj Thackeray’s closed-door meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has intensified claims that the BJP is courting MNS to prevent a united opposition front.
• BJP minister Sanjay Shirsat reiterated requests for MNS to join the Mahayuti coalition, framing it as crucial for success in cash-rich municipal elections.
• Uddhav Thackeray remains open to reconciliation on Marathi identity grounds, but MNS’s cautious responses and pro-BJP overtures cloud the prospects of a pre-poll merger.